Episode 2127 (24th October 1996)
Plot It is Sunday morning. A group of people drive through the village in a caravanette. Meanwhile, all the security men are being put through their paces by Marlon at Wishing Well Cottage as he teaches them self-defense. Zak makes fun of them and ends up being attacked by Marlon. The protesters survey the quarry site. Sarah and Rachel introduce themselves and offer Emmerdale Farm as their base. Kim seems in a chirpy mood. She is actually nice to Chris and holds James. Sophie thinks that her maternal instincts are starting to show at last. Chris is cynical. Dave calls at Holdgate Farm and asks for his exam certificates as he is planning to apply for a job. He finds out that the Glovers are going to the blessing. Marlon challenges Zak to a run with the loser buying the pies and pints at The Woolpack. Dave is looking for his certificates in the sideboard when he comes across some knitting that Jan has obviously done for James. Rachel foolishly tells Chris about the quarry protest which is planned for tonight. Terry comes into the post office and makes an excuse to get Vic out of the way so that he can talk to Viv. Alan has been to church. He has a discussion with Reverend Burns about the quarry. The security men run through the churchyard looking for Zak. Frank delights Chris by telling him that he is going to be reinstated in his will. Charles Miller does not anticipate any problems with the quarry protest. Tina is flirting with Steve. Chris tells Frank that the protesters are planning to move on the site before work starts. He asks him not to tell Rachel where he got his information from. Chris then tells Rachel about the will. Kim is two faced with Zoe, turning on her when Zoe mentions Valentine. Kim refuses to drop the action against her. Reverend Burns finds Zak resting in the churchyard and then so does Marlon and the gang. They drag him off to buy the refreshments at the pub. Frank orders Charles to start work on the quarry today. Kim overhears them arranging it. He ignores Zoe when she tries to talk to him. Rachel watches as Steve and Tina get on. Zoe admits that she hates her family sometimes. Linda arrives to support the protest. They are making placards and planning to sit in the trees. Kathy and Dave have taken Alice to the swings. Dave feels bitter as he hears the church bells ringing. He knows that it is all for the Tates. He then sees the blessing party drive past. He shows Kathy the little outfit that Jan knitted. The blessing gets underway. Reverend Burns makes an ironic speech about James never lacking love. Zak has to pay up £14.40 for the round and pies. Dave bursts into the church and accuses Kim of selling his child and before Frank can stop him, he walks up and kisses James on the forehead. Kathy and Alice witness this scene at the back of the church. The security lads are all enjoying their break in The Woolpack when Charles comes in and tells them to get to work as professional agitators are on their way. Ye mentions that there is £100 bonus in it for them. Zak immediately offers his services, conveniently forgetting how he taunted Butch for doing the same job. Frank is fuming about Dave and wishes that he had had him dealt with. He commands that Ned and Jan come to the party. Chris finds Kim alone in the church. He doesn't miss the opportunity to be nasty to her. Terry arranges to meet Viv later. There is a marquee on the lawn at Home Farm and the party is underway. Betty talks about the events of the blessing. Jan does not appreciate her gossiping. Frank makes a speech calling this the most importance day of his life. Jan walks out and everyone looks embarrassed. Kim is drinking heavily. The protesters are all ready to go. Karen stresses to Jack and Sarah that they all want a peaceful demonstration. Alan tries to talk to Frank, but he is in no mood to listen. Kim walks up to the microphone and is sarcastic about Frank's speech. She then announces to everyone that Frank is using the party as a diversion to allow the quarry work to start. Half the people leave the marquee. The bulldozers are moving in. Acky shows Butch a baseball bat that he is planning to use. He loves violence. Mandy arrives with her Munchbox. Rachel has phoned Emmerdale Farm to tell them all that work has started. They prepare to leave. Mandy is doing a roaring trade from her Munchbox. Zak asks for a sub. Tina arrives with Steve. She tells Mandy that she fancies him. Terry and Viv are having a secret tryst in the woods. Suddenly, the protesters arrive - with Kelly on board. Viv and Terry have to pretend that they have come to join them as members of the Church Action Group. Tree felling begins in Bluebell Woods. The protesters arrive and rush at the gates, taking over the bulldozers and managing to break through onto the site. Many of them climb trees. Kelly, Sarah, Linda and Tom attach themselves to a tree. Acky tries to drag Jack from his tractor, but Zak intervenes. Kelly fights with Marlon. He's having a hard time keeping control. Mandy and Tina watch from the sidelines as Zak has flour tipped over him. The blessing mob arrive - Seth, Betty, Ned, Roy and Rachel. They clash with Charles. One policeman arrives. Eric doesn't believe Dave when he tells him that he stormed into the church. He is impressed when he finds out that it is true. Jan arrives. Dave shows her the knitting that he found. She hugs him. Kim is sitting in the marquee as Biff clears up. Chris arrives and smugly tells Kim that he is back in Frank's will. He also tells her that he tipped his dad off about the protest. The protest starts to get nasty. Acky has a run in with Betty and ends up hitting her with his bat. Butch witnesses as Betty falls to the ground unconscious. Everyone gathers round. Charles calls Frank and tells him about Betty. Biff overhears and rushes off to the hospital with Zoe. Betty is taken to hospital. Linda goes with Seth. The quarry work is called off for the day, but the protesters stay. Kim looks at James in his nursery. Frank comes in. Rachel then storms in the room and accuses Frank. Kim sticks up for him, but only so that she can tell Rachel that it was Chris who actually told Frank about the protest. Biff and Zoe arrive at the hospital. Seth is upset. Chris is having a celebratory drink when Rachel storms in and smashes his glass out of his hand. He is stunned by her actions. She tells him that she is leaving him as he has betrayed her. It is dark at the protest camp. Tom plays the mouth organ as the security men look on. Mandy brings her burgers round. Acky threatens Butch if he tells anyone about hitting Betty. Seth holds Betty's hand. She is still unconscious. Rachel arrives on Steve's doorstep. She is shocked when he answers the door with Tina close behind him wearing one of his shirts. Cast Regular cast *Marlon Dingle - Mark Charnock *Butch Dingle - Paul Loughran *Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell *Sarah Sugden - Alyson Spiro *Rachel Hughes - Glenda McKay *Victoria Sugden - Jessica Heywood (uncredited) *Joseph Tate - Oliver Young (uncredited) *Christopher Tate - Peter Amory *Sophie Wright - Jane Cameron *James Tate - Jake Meays (uncredited) *Kim Tate - Claire King *Ned Glover - Johnny Leeze *Roy Glover - Nicky Evans *David Glover - Ian Kelsey *Viv Windsor - Deena Payne *Vic Windsor - Alun Lewis *Kelly Windsor - Adele Silva *Terry Woods - Billy Hartman *Alan Turner - Richard Thorp *Tina Dingle - Jacqueline Pirie *Frank Tate - Norman Bowler *Steve Marchant - Paul Opacic *Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell *Tom Bainbridge - Jeremy Turner-Welch *Linda Glover - Tonicha Jeronimo *Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby *Robert Sugden - Christopher Smith *Alice Bates - Rachel Tolboys *Kathy Bates - Malandra Burrows *Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook *Seth Armstrong - Stan Richards *Jan Glover - Roberta Kerr *Biff Fowler - Stuart Wade *Mandy Dingle - Lisa Riley *Eric Pollard - Christopher Chittell Guest cast *Karen - Charlotte Clotworthy *Acky - Antony Audenshaw *Reverend Burns - David Hobbs *Charlie Miller - John Branwell *PC Thoroughgood - Carl Cieka Locations *Main Street *Wishing Well Cottage - Yard *Demdyke Quarry site *Home Farm - Sitting room, nursery flat, hallway, grounds, marquee, kitchen and James Tate's nursery *Holdgate Farm - Farmhouse kitchen and living room *Mill Cottage - Downstairs rooms *Windsor's Village Store & Post Office - Shop floor *St. Mary's Church - Yard and interior *Cemetery *Emmerdale Farm - Yard *Play area *The Woolpack - Public bar *Unknown field *Bluebell Woods *The Old School Tearooms - Interior *Hotten General Hospital - Intensive care waiting area and Betty Eagleton's room *Pear Tree Cottage - Front garden Notes *This was an hour-long episode. Unlike usual hour-long episodes, which are two episodes merged, this one was produced as one long episode. *Tony Audenshaw (credited as Antony Audenshaw) makes a pre-Bob Hope appearance as Acky. *Additional Credits: Stuart St. Paul (Stunt Co-ordinator). Category:1996 episodes Category:Emmerdale episodes Category:Extended episodes